Friend-turned-arch-foe Sivasankaran who brought down Maran

It was only after December 2006 when Maxis bought over the company, Aircel was granted licences for 14 circles and became a pan-Indian operator.

Aircel got more than half the new licences granted during Maran's tenure. Aircel, like all other operators that were granted licences at that time, only paid the 2001 prices.

In 2006, Astro, a Maxis group firm, also got the Cabinet nod to invest Rs 675 crore in Sun Direct TV - a firm owned by Kalanidhi Maran, the DMK leader's elder brother which has come under CBI scrutiny. Was it in return to the favour that Maran had shown to the company?

It is this apparent nexus that Siva has talked about with CBI, which Maran denies vehemently.